outside play

So, here are some photos of our yard. I strive to create areas within our yard that will encourage curiosity, empowerment, difficulty, challenge, safety with a sense of danger. children will seek out danger....I strive to give them that sense in a safe atmosphere. they need to experience risk in order to get a sense of self...a sense of what they can and can not do. My space encourages self esteem....we never help the kids 'get places'. Meaning...they cannot go down the slide until they can climb up to the slide. It helps them work harder to achieve what they want. a sense of pride :) The yard is always changing....the next large thing I am going to add is a water station! It will be a do-it-yourself water station. I am so excited. After that we will create an outside music adventure!!

our playhouse....there is a play kitchen, table, and chairs inside. There is also a window with 'shutters' that open and close and it is low enough to the ground so they can climb in and out.
colored stepping stones. i am wanting to add more next summer to create a long 'game board' :)I do not use saucers inside the house, but it works great outside, so the little ones can be in the middle of the action

strawberries....we also have apple trees, a plum tree, blueberry bushes, and random herbs around the yard. I am hoping to put in grapes soon......
we have a large eucalyptus tree....it smells soooooo yummy! especially when you rub the leaves
'bumping' on the teeter-totter is super fun!
Korina is in feeding our chickens.....
we brought the table out of the playhouse and had a little snack outside :)
we LOVE when the garbage man comes!! he even stopped and gave us coloring books last week!!
watching the bunnies....
snow is cold. snow is wet. snow is yummy. snow is the best!!
our driveway is long. it makes the best place to ride bikes down or these rainbow rollors.

Korina rides bikes with everyone
Bryan is hanging out reading a book....we have certain books that stay outside on the deck.
My son Dayton is enjoying a little game with the boys
we just got new sand....oh boy is it ever great!!

water....the bestest

this is not at my house....but it sure is cool, isn't it?? :)

I found this at the 're-store' in ballard. not sure what it was, but it makes a great ladder!! the kids can move it around the yard and climb....

Love.....
Looking for worms....
learning about trikes....


these steps are great. the kids go up, go down, on foot and on the bikes, the count, they jump, climb, crawl, skip, run, and hop on those steps.
the deck. to the left is the sign in sheet and a menu calendar. to the right is a bench and chairs for everyone to 'hang out'. they are not allowed to ride the bikes on the deck.
I love tree stumps!! they are jumping, dancing, or sitting platforms. they are tables, chairs, or 'ovens'. I have them all over the yard...and they are free!!!

hangin outside with some books.....
our slides are for up and down!. we slide down forwards, upside down, backwards, and sometimes on our feet. there is a rope there that they can pull themselves up the slide with.


eating strawberries off the bush....yummmm.....


I just liked this one.....


these aren't mine....but I think it is quite clever....I also love tires, and they are free!!!

new sand.....
water table....
this is a hammock that hangs on the deck. the kids love having some quiet time here. they are not allowed to swing big...only rock. this has been a savior for some kids that have come through here. I am adding more next summer throughout the yard.


these aren't mine....but I am doing this!!! I love this idea!!! for inside and outside!!

washing pumpkins! this was their own idea....
I purchased a bunch of planks at home depot. they love moving them around and making different obstacles. they are heavy enough to make it a challenge...but not too heavy that they can not do it.

around the room....apples

We were patterning with the noodles.... Instead of a Red, Yellow, Green pattern, Quincy wanted to do Red, Green, Green, Yellow, Green, Red. He stuck with it for 3 rounds....

Another Pinterest find.....It turned out super cute! We added stems to the apples on the trees...
We got 8 different kinds of Apples. We arranged them from biggest to smallest...then we tested 3 of them for lunch. YUM! tomorrow...apple pie!
We have been measuring everything!!! tomorrow we will measure with Apples!!

Around the Room......

I saw a picture on pinerest of a do-it-yourself store. It's not really even close to the picture but I used materials that I already had on hand and am impressed at the excitement and joy that it has brought already this morning!
Do you see the colored bottles?? they turned out pretty cool and the kids loved watching them turn colors and 'guessing'/'inferring' as to what was going to happening.
It's a crazy looking tree...but the thing I like about working with kids, they don't care...they thought it was very cool!! :) The flannel story 10 apples up on top is on the board....
Reading area.....
The messy room.....
Sensory bin....
Makenna made 'apple pie' playdough.....mmmmmm
There is a magnet board in front of these two....they were matching and grouping (sort of) the magnet letters
Quincy always loves the new books!! Addy is reading to the babies....
I have ALWAYS wanted one of these....I finally found one. They love it...of course :)
Crayon melting with Apple colors......
Painting.....
Puzzle doing.....
Soooo.....My creative lil Quinn....he is using the plastic cups to 'catch' the balls as they come out of this ball/ramp toy. He was also pushing the balls through super hard so they would 'shoot' into 'walls' that he was building. Even toys that look like they only may be used one way, always have other options :)
Jake was stacking these lil pillow seats then crashing them down....
Then he found some trains.....
They boys are building walls.....Quinn is crashing them down....with his new found 'shooter'
Royce loves the sink :)
Sensory bin....earlier one of the boys was here and he was patiently putting beans, one by one, into the straw.....good eye hand coordination and small motor control....see...play is learning :)

colors

We started out with White, Red, Blue, and Yellow.......
Then we mixed them. Look through the Oct. Room pics to see what happend!

'the construction site'

Quincy is in charge. This is mostly him dictating to the others....

"Off to the construction site!! Let's go guys! We need gloves! ....'I don't want gloves' says someone else....You need them! It's messy work! Look at this construction site hammer! Is this loud work or what? YOU!!, Hayden, take this...we're building up the bridge. No Jacob....this is the part where you don't have to have these anymore. Let's get a move-on guys!! Everyone grab some of those!! We need to stabilizer it!! Hey, this isn't a jungle gym!! It's a Bridge!!"

I love that he needed to stabilizer it :) and he did. and they walked back and forth on that bridge...broke it down...and built it back up, all morning. Such builders they are.

back to school

I love the beginning of a new school year.....
This isn't just glueing down colored pasta.....Here is what is being said. "look Annie....it's all shiney! I made it shiney. I filled it all in with glue. I wrote my name!!! The colors are falling. Look, the glue is making the colors go this way." Of course I add in with 'oh, yes, the grooves on the pasta are filling up with glue. I wonder what it will look like when it is dry. What do you think it will look like? Yes, the color is bleeding off. Why do you think the color is bleeding off like that?
Time for the little people school house and busses. Lot's of busses!!!

fill her up

Campbells mama is expecting a baby any day. Last week when Campbell came in, she was extra fussy and whiney. She would follow us around the room with her hands up, and ask for her mama. A frown from a friend would send her into a sobbing cry. We knew she was anxious, and we would hold her and talk to her...but mostly we were busy working with all the kiddos.

This morning she came into the room with puffy eyes and tears rolling down her adorable lil cheek. I knew we needed a different approach. Something that we often forget to do when we are busy with our own day to day things.

I cuddled her close and didn't let go until she was ready. We sat on the floor and shared a pillow for our heads. I sang to her, and read to her, and cuddled her. If I had to get up, I would scoop her up and take her with me. It's not always easy to do this when there are so many other kiddos, but nobody seemed to mind today. About an hour and a half after she arrived she stood up and wondered off. She was full. She needed an emotional fill up. She needed to know I was there for her today...and as soon as she got everything that she needed, she was as happy as can be!! I love you miss Campbell and you are going to make an amazing big sister!!